I Have Been and Always Shall Be Your Friend
by Ms. Britain
Summary: After John Harrison's attack on Earth, the crew of the Enterprise must defend it. A torpedo attack knocks out the warp drive, leaving anyone who attempts to fix it susceptible to radiation poisoning. One of the crew gives his life for the good of the many, but it may not be who you think...what I think the Into Darkness Trailer is really hinting at!
1. I Have Been Always Shall Be Your Friend

"Battle stations!" cried Captain James T. Kirk of the _USS Enterprise_. John Harrison had been more of a threat than the crew had realized as they braced themselves for the incoming barrage of torpedoes from his ship.

At the Science station, First Officer Spock's fingers flew over keys as he attempted to disable as many of the torpedoes in flight as he could before impact. His mind had already calculated that too few would be disabled to prevent severe damage to the ship, but the minute number that could be disabled would be the only possibility of survival for the crew. Twenty torpedoes went offline before Sulu's cry of

"Incoming forty torpedoes, Captain!"

"Fire all photon torpedoes!" barked Captain Kirk as the torpedoes enlarged rapidly on the view screen. Photon torpedoes streaked through space, eliminating all the enemy torpedoes in their path. What Kirk had not anticipated, however, was the second wave of torpedoes fired immediately after the first. Sixty photon torpedoes impacted against the _Enterprise's _hull.

"Captain, decks four, seven, and nine report major damage and casualties, and weapons are offline. Engineering also reports damage to the warp drive, as well as a possible radiation leak," Lieutenant Uhura informed the bridge from her Communications station. Spock noted the levelness of her tone and her ability to perform admirably under extreme stress. It was that quality which had led to her post on the Enterprise.

"Then we are basically a sitting duck out here! No weapons and no way to escape; Harrison can blow us up right now without any resistance! Damage report on our shields, Mr. Sulu?" Captain Kirk inquired hurriedly.

"Shields holding at thirty percent, Captain, but we are drawing on reserve power. If weapons are not reengaged soon, there will be no_ Enterprise_ left to defend what's left of Earth."

The mood of the bridge perceptibly dropped at the mention of the ravaged planet below. John Harrison's revenge had been complete; fires ran rampant, while buildings tumbled down and crushed the evacuating populace world-wide. If the_ Enterprise_ could pull herself out of this jam, the likelihood of there being anything of Earth left to save was quite slim; Spock had made his calculations that at the rate of the planet's current decay, the _Enterprise_ would have two hours to foil Harrison's plot before the earth would cave in on itself. One hour had already passed.

"Kirk to Engineering; Scotty, what have you got down there?"

"The warp drive has been completely disabled, Captain; there is no way to fix it without exposure to the radiation down here. And no, before you ask, if I was to divert the reserve power to the drive, there would be nothing left for the weapons and the shields!" Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott's accent thickened as he spoke rapidly into the com.

"Thanks, Scotty; keep me posted, Kirk out." Captain Kirk leaned back in his chair, slowly turning towards Spock. "Mr. Spock, any ideas?"

"Mr. Scott has already negated the proposal I had intended, leaving me with nothing further to add. Unless the weapons are able to activate on the remaining reserve power and the warp drive is ignored until after the conflict, than there is nothing that can be done." Spock stated calmly as he faced the captain.

"Well, at least that's something, Mr. Spock. Lt. Uhura, can Mr. Spock's suggestion be carried out?" He glanced at Uhura in expectation.

"Negative, Captain; Engineering reports that there is not enough reserve power to sustain one photon torpedo at the moment. Only the reengagement of the warp drive could provide enough power; the reserves are struggling to maintain the shields." Uhura replied; worry creeping into the edge of her voice.

"I told Bones all those showers of his would eat up the reserve power!" Kirk grinned halfheartedly, causing several members of the bridge to smile; Chekov even laughed.

Spock raised his eyebrow in puzzlement. "_We face certain death, and the captain makes what appears to be a joke, based on the reaction of the crew. Fascinating."_

"Kirk to Medical; Bones, apparently your showers have eaten the reserve powers of the ship, and we are left defenseless because of it. How are things going on your end?"

The irritable voice of the doctor blazed through the com like a wood set afire. "DARN IT, JIM, I'M A LITTLE BUSY HERE! HASN'T ANYONE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CASULTIES YET? MCCOY OUT!" The com went offline abruptly.

"The doctor must be treating a child evacuee from the planet; it is the only logical explanation for why he ceased from cursing at you in a more violent manner," Spock observed.

A small grin broke out on Kirk's face as he replied, "Why Mr. Spock! From your statement, it would sound as if Bones feels the need to curse at me frequently!"

Spock merely raised an eyebrow in response.

As Captain Kirk began to furiously rack the rest of the bridge's collective minds for ideas, his First Officer's was elsewhere occupied. "_Reestablishment of the warp drive is imperative. The ship will be destroyed, along with the planet it is protecting." _He observed the other members of the bridge. "_The planet they call their home…and now mine. If an individual would risk the radiation poisoning to reestablish the warp drive, success may be achieved." _At this thought, a calm assurance settled in his conscience. "_I must do this."_

Unobtrusively, he arose from his chair and entered the lift to depart the bridge. As the door wisped shut and the lift began its downward descent, Spock recalled what he had said to the captain those short days ago when he had faced death in the volcano.

"_The good of the many outweigh the good of the few...or the one."_

The actions of the First Officer, however, had not gone unnoticed by every member of the bridge. Jim Kirk's eyes followed his friend's retreating form with confusion. _"Where's he going? I need him on the bridge; as First Officer, he must resume command if something happens to me. It's not like he can do anything off the bridge." _That was when the light bulb went off in his head; to be accurate, **exploded** in his head. "_He's going to go fix the warp drive! Crap, why do I have to have a suicidal, __**logical**__ Vulcan as my First Officer?" _At that moment, his mind quickly brought to the forefront the layout of the Engineering deck. A plan formulated faster than he had ever thought possible before, and he issued a quick order to Engineering before striding off the bridge after his First Officer.

Spock arrived at Engineering to organized chaos. Crewmen were evacuating their posts quickly, which gave him pause for a moment. _"Strange, these crewmen should be at their posts to salvage whatever remains of our power. Under whose authority are they leaving?" _ He did not ponder the question long, and strode into the inner depths of the deck. Chief Engineer Scott met him as he approached.

"Mr. Spock? What are you doing down here? I thought the…" Scott trailed off.

"I am here to reestablish the warp drive and regain the ship's power. I am aware of the radioactivity and am prepared to undergo its poisoning. What did you think, Mr. Scott, and why are the crewmen evacuating?"

"It's too dangerous, Mr. Spock! Me and the lads have to get out of here, and you should as well! That poisoning will kill you! I thought someone would have told you that!" he answered, with a slight look of guilt that Spock could not pinpoint the cause of.

"I am sorry, Mr. Scott, but I am adamant; I will reestablish the warp drive, whatever the cost. Are the controls located in that glass cylinder?" He gestured to the glass cylinder located in the center of the room, clearly marked with a radioactive symbol.

"Aye, that they are. But Mr. Spock, please don't go in there! I'm sure we can come up with some other way!" begged Mr. Scott.

"Live long and prosper, Mr. Scott." Spock approached the glass cylinder slowly until he stood directly in front of it. He paused, took an almost imperceptible breath, and opened the door. He stepped inside and felt the door close behind him. He moved to begin manipulating the controls, but stopped in the closest thing a Vulcan can obtain to shock. The controls were missing.

"I'm sorry, Spock; you couldn't have known that the warp drive controls can be moved to the main Engineering deck."

Spock whirled around, eyes widening, as he saw Captain Kirk standing outside the glass cylinder beside the warp drive controls. Suddenly, everything fell into place. "_The evacuated crewman, Mr. Scott's 'I thought the', his guilty look,…the locked air ventilation system." _This last point he observed as he glanced at the vents above to find them sealed closed. He opened his mouth to give the logical argument of why he had to be the one to activate the warp drive, when Kirk smiled and said,

"It's too late, Spock. I'm already exposed to the radiation, while you are not. That glass can keep radiation out as well as it can keep it in. Now, before the poison starts to get to me, I better get this warp drive fixed." Kirk bent over the controls, eyebrows knit together in concentration. He placed a few commands into the computer, reattached some wires, and hit the restart switch. The warp drive burst to life, allowing the lights to brighten to full capacity. Kirk grinned for a moment, and then grimaced in pain. He started walking towards the glass cylinder, and then began to stagger before he stood right before it.

Spock began to search for the unlock switch, but was unable to find one. He looked above and below him, but saw nothing that could open the door.

"It's no use, Spock. The switch is out here with me. And don't try to pound away on the glass either; it's thick enough to even break your hands. I checked." This came rather breathily from Kirk as he slightly leaned into the glass.

"Do you purpose that I watch idly while you succumb to the poison then, Captain?" Spock attempted to say this more detachedly than what it actually came out as. If a Vulcan voice could ever claim to have a tremor, it would have been Spock's tone as he asked this question.

"See? Now we're actually getting to know each other," Kirk quipped as he had when they had first fought together against Nero. He sighed as he felt himself getting steadily weaker. "I only wish…"

"Wish what, Jim?" Spock slipped into the first name basis as the inevitable slowly began to dawn in his conscience. This was becoming the last conversation he would have with his best friend.

"That we had had more time to become friends. I mean, we had just gotten to the point where I don't think you secretly hate my guts, and you were starting to remember my name is Jim not Captain! That old version of you…seemed to have had more time with his Jim Kirk."

Spock repressed the wave of emotion welling up inside of him at this statement. He lowered his head for a moment to compose himself, and then looked Jim in the eyes. "Despite our initial differences, do not doubt the truth of my words. I have been, and always shall be, your friend." His voice shook ever so slightly, the control of his emotions slipping from his grasp.

Kirk's eyes widened in recognition of the phrase that Spock Prime had uttered at their meeting. He smiled and said, "Do not grieve, Commander; this is logical, as much as it is strange for me to say it." He began to sink to the ground, leaning against the glass. Spock moved with him. Kirk placed his hand flat on the glass. He tried to spread his fingers apart in the Vulcan salute, but did not quite achieve it. Spock opened his fingers and returned the gesture, placing his hand directly opposite his captain's.

Kirk's voice came out raspy, the poison's effects taking their toll, but it still was vibrant. "As a good friend once told me, 'Live long and prosper'," He smiled one more time at Spock, and then slumped forward by the glass.

Spock knelt behind the glass in what he knew was illogical denial. Illogical, maybe, but it was denial nonetheless. "No," he whispered with more emotion held in that word than he had ever experienced.

An hour later, as their Captain had last ordered, the crew of the _Enterprise, _after defeating John Harrison's ship, checked the sealed off Engine Room. As requested, it was Doctor McCoy who first entered the chamber. There a heart wrenching sight met his eyes: his best friend Jim lay dead on the floor, leaving behind the Vulcan he had emotionally compromised a second time.

**A/N: Hate it? Love it? Yeah, I know, it's a Spock fan girl's cop out to the scene shown in Into Darkness, where their hands are together. But hey, it could happen! Anyway, let me know if I should write more or end it there.**


	2. To Boldly Go Where No Man HasGone Before

**A/N: If you liked the way the previous chapter ended, then read no further. If you wanted the continuation (and finale) of the story, then here's the rest!**

_24 hours later_

Despite the rampant chaos worldwide, the remnants of Starfleet had gathered promptly to attend the funeral of Earth's hero. Row upon row was filled with countless cadets, ensigns, and officers attired completely in black. In the foremost row stood the bridge crew of the _Enterprise, _gazing upon the open coffin in the front of the auditorium. It had been Captain Kirk's final wish to have an open coffin ceremony, as well as forgoing the embalming process. Little enough time had passed to erase the shock, grief, and agony etched on every bridge member's face, with one exception.

One would not have assumed Spock to be emotionally compromised if they had looked at his passive countenance. Even McCoy, who had caught a glimpse of Spock's face when the doctor had entered the Engineering Room, had begun to wonder if he had misread the Vulcan's expression. The bridge crew would have been shocked to know what overwhelming emotions were rolling beneath the placid surface. Only the Vulcan Way stood between an outburst of grief, reminiscent of the destruction of his planet and the death of his mother.

The bridge crew of the _Enterprise_ had unanimously agreed that Spock should give the Captain's eulogy, knowing that any other member of the crew would not have the emotional fortitude to give the speech without breaking down. Doctor McCoy had muttered at the news that an emotional speech had been replaced with a no-emotion-whatsoever one. At a motion of Admiral Pike's hand, Spock moved forward out of the row towards the platform. He passed the coffin without looking inside of it; some logical instinct pleaded with him not to gaze down. He climbed the steps up to the stand, and faced the sea of varying grief-stricken faces. He paused a moment, then began to speak levelly and clearly.

"Members of Starfleet, we are assembled here today to commemorate Captain James Tiberius Kirk's life and honor his sacrificial death. As all or many of you know, Captain Kirk willingly succumbed to radiation poisoning to ensure this planet's survival. As he was an advocate of no-win scenarios, you may appreciate the nobility in this gesture. Captain Kirk performed admirably in all of his responsibilities as the _Enterprise's _captain, and has left behind an unblemished record. Starfleet was honored to have such a Captain, and it is doubtful it will ever have again a man willing to go beyond the call of duty and surpass every expectation to achieve greatness. He was a model for his crew, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

Spock came to the end of his speech, yet he was aware of some missing element in the eulogy. He paused, and looked down into the coffin. Dressed in a clean commander's uniform, Captain Kirk seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, eyes closed, with a small smile present on his face. Gazing down at the Captain, a spark flickered and then sprang to life in the depth of Spock's emotions. He knew at that moment what element was missing from his eulogy, and began to speak again, yet not as levelly as before.

"The ones who will be most affected by Captain Kirk's death, however, will be those who knew him simply as Jim; those people are those who called him friend. Jim was loyal to the death; if anyone was in a predicament, Jim would not rest until he could solve their problems. Of all the humans I have observed, he was the one who followed his heart most instead of his head. Not to say that Jim was not intelligent, on the contrary, he proved with his last breath his ingenuity and resourcefulness. Jim, however, knew when to make the right decision, even when it was not necessarily the logical one. He was kind, caring, and witty; on several occasions, I observed how he could transform a room's mood with a simple phrase. He understood that the good of the many outweigh the good of the few or the one, yet never forgot about the individual. It was an honor to serve under him as his First Officer, and an even greater honor to be considered his friend."

Spock closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He calculated that there was only one thing left to be said of his friend, but doubted he could say it without emotionally compromising himself. _"Regardless of the effect it may have on me, I must say it. Jim deserves as much from me." _ He opened his eyes to gaze into the faces of the bridge crew of the Enterprise and shakily said,

"While I have stated that it is doubtful that Starfleet will ever have someone like Captain James Tiberius Kirk serving in their ranks, there is no doubt if there will ever be another Jim Kirk. He is irreplaceable, almost as a sun is for a planet. Before I met Jim Kirk, I had been taught that to be emotionally compromised is to be shamed. Jim emotionally compromised me once, and taught me through it that great strength can be found after the acknowledgment of great weakness. As he has now emotionally compromised me a second time, I cling to the belief that great strength will be found as I acknowledge the grief I feel at his death. I will miss him terribly, and I hope that wherever he is, he is allowed to boldly go where no man has gone before."

Spock quickly descended from the platform, unexplained moisture forming in his eyes, causing the world to mist before him. "_So Vulcans can cry; or perhaps it is my human half that allows it?"_ A thunder of applause ricocheted off the walls to fall on his ears. He passed the coffin once more, but this time stopped directly in front of it. He peered down at his Captain's face, the mist concealing most of the features. Suddenly, the mist cleared as tears trickled down his face, surprising the Vulcan. Both tears fell to land gently on Jim's face. Spock leaned down to conceal his tears and to illogically whisper,

"Farewell, Jim." Spock blinked to clear his eyes of tears and slid back into the bridge's row. Uhura whispered softly to him as he entered,

"Are you all right, Spock? Your eyes are green."

"I am well, Nyota; as well as can be expected."

The rest of the assembled Starfleet members filed out of the auditorium, leaving the _Enterprise_ bridge crew alone with their captain; Admiral Pike passed the row in his wheelchair, and met Spock's eyes. His eyes softened as he spoke to the First Officer,

"Jim would have liked your speech, Spock. Well done."

He passed on, patting Spock's arm reassuringly before departing. The bridge crew glanced at each other, unsure of how to proceed. McCoy snapped out of a reverie and looked to Spock. He halfway smiled as he said,

"Who knew you could give an emotional speech like that? Even got me tearing up," he groused lowly. "Well, I guess it's time to say our goodbyes." He choked a bit on the last word.

The crew moved to the coffin to say their farewells, when the most unthinkable, impossible, illogical, and wonderful thing happened. Captain James Tiberius Kirk sat up in his coffin, yawned, looked to his crew, and said,

"How is it going, everyone; did you miss me?"

The crew's response was instantaneous. Spock's eyes widened, Uhura fell to the ground in a dead faint, McCoy shouted, "It can't be!" , Sulu hit himself in the head, and Chekov pinched himself. Spock was the first to recover; warily, he approached the coffin bearing the smirking Captain Kirk. He stared intently, never saying a word, while Jim squirmed under his stare. Spock then uttered one word softly but with enough force to bend steel,

"How?"

Kirk chuckled softly and replied, "Oh the wonders of science these days, Spock! Did you know that doctors recently discovered a compound that neutralizes the effects of radiation poisoning? It has the unfortunate side effect of causing death-like symptoms for a day or so, but I hear they are working on that. And did you happen to know that Doctor McCoy happened to have the necessary components to concoct the antidote, which I procured while he was occupied with the casualties? I gave myself the shot before entering Engineering." He waited for Spock's reaction to the news.

"If you had taken an antidote, why did you not inform me? You appeared to be preparing for death in the Engineering Room, Captain." Spock queried calmly, but with a certain light in his eyes that warned Captain Kirk that he should answer carefully.

"Like I said, the antidote was recent. Untested, even; I didn't want to produce false hope if it didn't work. So, I basically acted how I would if I was dying with no outlet. I'm sorry, Spock, but I thought it would be better if I didn't tell you." Kirk smiled appealingly.

"Darn it, Jim, you should have told him; or you really should have told me! Do you realize how all of us felt for the past twenty-four hours? And now all of Starfleet thinks you're dead! Isn't your plan just terrific?" McCoy exasperatedly huffed.

"Good to see you too, Bones; seemed you missed me a lot!" grinned Kirk.

"You know it, kid; I just don't let it get to your already inflated head!" McCoy whipped back, but with less bite than usual.

Captain Kirk got out of the coffin, wobbling slightly, and stood in front of Spock. He tilted his head and asked,

"Are we still friends, Spock? I haven't emotionally compromised you, have I?"

"You have emotionally compromised me on two occasions, Captain. Vulcans consider such to be a breach of confidence and friendship. According to the Vulcan Way, I should discontinue our friendship." Spock said this detachedly to the floor, not observing Kirk's face falling into despondency.

"However, I am half-human and as such do not have to adhere completely to such logic. I believe you stated that you wished that we had had more time to develop our friendship?" Spock looked up and performed two unpredictable actions. He smiled at Kirk, a full, warm smile, and hugged the astonished Captain. "I am glad that you are alive, Jim, and please, do not ever do that again."

"Hey, I'm glad to be alive too, Spock, and I think you might have even gone completely human in my absence!" Kirk returned the hug and remarked wonderingly.

Spock stepped back, clasped his arms behind his back, assumed a neutral expression, and raised an eyebrow. "An illogical assumption, Captain, I was an emotionally compromised Vulcan, nothing more. I believe we have a ship to return to, Captain?"

Uhura revived from her faint after the assistance of Doctor McCoy and gazed in disbelief at the Captain. Sulu and Chekov looked at each other and grinned. McCoy folded his arms together and smiled. Jim glanced around, smirked, and answered,

"Why Mr. Spock, I believe we do." He whipped out a communicator and remarked,

"Mr. Scott, six to beam aboard! We have a mission to return to!"

_ Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before._


	3. Epilogue

**A/N: Per request by Kittythekatty, I give you an epilogue for the story. Warning that this story went from major angst to major fluff…hope you enjoy and this really is the last thing I'm going to write for this!**

As soon as Captain Kirk and the bridge crew beamed into the transporter room, what felt as half of the four hundred crew members of the_ Enterprise_ were there to greet their Captain. Mr. Scott was in the forefront, mouth agape in disbelief. He moved to the transporter pad and asked Kirk,

"Is that really you, Captain? I thought I was hallucinating when I heard your voice over the com, but I called all the available crew here anyway. I can hardly believe my eyes!"

Kirk flashed his charismatic smile and laughingly said, "Of course it's me, Scotty! Not even death can keep me down forever! I have an announcement for all personnel: before launching off on our mission, we will be having a pool party in the Aquatic Center. Because we are going straight to work after the party, everyone is limited to one glass…even yours truly! Let anyone who isn't here know about it, all right?"

This speech was met with thunderous applause and a chorus of "Yes, sir!" from the assembled crew that scattered after the announcement. The bridge crew stepped off the landing pad, and Uhura sauntered up to the Captain with a determined glint in her eye.

"Permission to act freely, sir?" she asked sweetly.

"Permission granted, Lieutenant. What's on your mind?" Kirk cocked his head to one side waiting for her answer.

Uhura slapped her insufferable Captain across his face as hard as she dared without drawing blood or a court martial. Kirk blinked from the pain and shock as Uhura shouted,

"Next time, CAPTAIN, tell your bridge crew or at least your First Officer before pulling a stunt like that! Can you understand the emotional strain you've put us under these past twenty four hours? The whole planet thinks you're dead now; how are you going to explain that one away?"

Kirk rubbed his face and muttered, "Remind me to never give you permission to act freely again." In a normal tone, he added, "Like I told Spock, I wasn't sure it was going to work; I was sure if I told you, no one would have let me done it. Trust me; I had exhausted all other options at that point. And I was going to contact Starfleet, who would then inform the rest of the planet of my survival. Good grief, it seems my supposedly unemotional First Officer is the only one who's not ticked off at me for being alive!" He glanced at Spock as he spoke.

"Negative, Captain, I am not pleased with the manner in which you have accomplished survival, but I have acknowledged that your life is worth more than my displeasure," Spock calmly stated, his emotions once again under his control.

"Which is a nice way of saying he feels like the rest of us, but was overwhelmed at your being alive and so he's okay with it," translated Doctor McCoy as he departed from the Transporter Room.

"Okay, okay, I won't do it again! Sheesh, you'd think I pulled a practical joke on everyone! I am sorry for emotionally affecting and compromising you all, but I had to do what had to be done. I hope you can all understand that." Kirk pleaded with the remaining crew.

"Of course, Captain, I just wanted to bring to your attention what the rest of us had to go through," Uhura replied soothingly, while the rest of the crew nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your understanding. Now, I expect to see everyone in the Aquatic Center in an hour! Bring your swimsuits!" Kirk waved his finger and then departed, the rest of the crew following him out.

_One hour later_

The Aquatic Center was filled to full capacity, with every crew member clad in their various swimwear, some more fully covered than others. The pool itself was lit by blue lights on the bottom of it, casting a luminous glow on the surrounding area. A hastily constructed tiki bar had been set up by Engineering, and everyone, true to the Captain's word, had only one small drink. Scotty had presented a bottle of his beloved scotch to Captain Kirk, who had promised to drink it at a later time. Some of the crew were dancing to various antique dance hits, such as _Die Young_ and _Evacuate the Dance floor_.

Kirk glanced around, just taking in the sight of everyone having a good time. "_Yeah, I'm so glad I didn't die. That would have sucked. Hmm, I wonder where my First Officer is? I can't seem to be able to find him." _He continued to search, passing Bones with a pat on the shoulder, high fiving Sulu, and nodding to Chekov. When he finally located Spock, it was the last place he would have thought him to be.

Spock glided through the water, the water's coolness lulling him to contentment. Although Vulcan had been an arid desert planet, his mother had often fondly spoken of a pool full of water. Intrigued, Spock had asked if he could be shown one of these pools. Amanda had taken her son to Earth and had taught him how to swim there, furthering the differentiating gap between Spock and the other Vulcan boys and girls. He did not regret the lessons, however; the water fascinated him with its stillness, fluidity, and calming effect. Now, swimming brought memories of his mother to him in a softened manner, one that was not a painful experience. He swam on the _Enterprise_ whenever he had free time, viewing it as a healing process when meditation would not suffice. Although he usually wore a pair of swimming trunks to feel the water's caress on his skin, he was clad in an ebony wetsuit at the pool party; Vulcans are notoriously modest. He floated gently on top of the water, breathing deeply, the epitome of tranquility.

Captain Kirk, wearing his golden yellow trunks, dove into the pool with a splash. All of his senses kicked into overdrive as soon as he hit the water; something about swimming awoke in him the same feelings flying did. Ecstatic, he whipped through the water towards his First Officer. Twenty feet before he reached him, Jim bobbed to a stop. A mischievous grin spread over his features at the sight of the floating Spock. Knowing that the water would deaden the sound of his approach, he swam over to Spock. Chuckling slightly, he splashed water in the Vulcan's face. Startled, Spock sank beneath the water before reemerging somewhat breathlessly.

"Captain, do you require my services?" Spock asked.

"Yes, Mr. Spock, you are required to join the rest of the party for a limbo challenge! I warn you though; I'm the limbo champion, so you might not have much of a chance." Jim grinned as he sped towards the side of the pool.

"We shall see, Captain, we shall see," Spock replied as he joined Kirk outside the pool. The limbo stick had already been set up, and various ensigns and officers had already been eliminated. Soon, only the bridge crew remained, along with Doctor McCoy. Chekov was the first to be eliminated, falling backwards when the stick was at two feet. Uhura and McCoy followed, both at one and a half feet. The three remaining members were Sulu, Spock, and Kirk, and the bar was set at half a foot to quickly eliminate two others. Sulu went first, making it halfway under before the bar touched his nose. Kirk, cocky as ever, motioned for the bar to be positioned just at the point where one would have to be almost perfectly horizontal to pass under it successful. Many of the women crew members cheered as Kirk inched underneath until only his head had to pass. Unfortunately, his nose was also his downfall. Finally, Spock stepped up to attempt what his Captain had failed to do. Slowly, slightly, Spock slipped under the bar; when he came to his face, he turned his head to the side and continued forward. Millimeters away from his ear, the bar passed cleanly over it.

"Well what do you know, the pointy-eared Vulcan can get down low!" exclaimed McCoy as the bridge crew congratulated Spock on his victory. Ironically, the prize awarded was chocolate peanut butter cups, and chocolate is known to inebriate Vulcans. Spock paused before accepting the prize, but concluded that to not accept would be distasteful. He nibbled on a piece of chocolate, making sure not to eat too much.

The party ended with Kirk on the dance floor, dancing to an old hit called _Moves Like Jagger. _ The bridge crew looked on, Bones shaking his head, Uhura laughing, Sulu and Chekov debating whether to join in, and Spock raising his eyebrow. After the dance, Kirk dispersed the crowd to their various posts; the bridge crew and he shot the Enterprise into space, and retired along with everyone else to his quarters.

Spock, his logic a little affected by the chocolate, entered his chambers in a contemplative mood. Remembering the dance Kirk performed, he began to imitate the movement while keeping time with the rhythm in his head. A slight feeling of excitement began to well up, until he crashed into his bed. _"Perhaps I should refrain from chocolate consumption at further functions; it seems to have dulled my logic." _With this thought, Spock lay down on the bed and fell into a fast, dreamless sleep.

**A/N: Yes, I have Spock sleeping in this even though Vulcans meditate; but he's half human, so the human side needs rest as well. Also, the feelings of Spock and Kirk in the pool are my personal feelings, so sorry if they're a little OOC. This is REALLY the final thing I'm writing for this! Hope you enjoyed!**


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